


Love Without Lemons

by Gassu



Category: The Avengers (Marvel Movies), The Avengers (Marvel) - All Media Types
Genre: Alternate Universe, M/M, Mild Hurt/Comfort, No Sex, No Smut, Prompt Fill, prostitute/client au
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-09-30
Updated: 2016-09-30
Packaged: 2018-08-18 16:45:34
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,875
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8168875
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Gassu/pseuds/Gassu
Summary: For Bruce life doesn't give lemons, neither does love. He can't make the lemonade but maybe that will be fine.





	

**Author's Note:**

> I was prompted by sunsetscomiche from Tumblr: _"Bruce & Tony // 17, 25, 31 or 32"_ from [this post](http://ganetfiction.tumblr.com/post/133806192581/send-me-a-ship-and-a-number-and-ill-write-a-short). I chose the number 31: prostitute/client au.
> 
> This fic can also be found [on Tumblr](http://ganetfiction.tumblr.com/post/150949807516/for-sunsetscomiche-you-prompted-a-fic-with).

Bruce is driving through the dark empty streets, only streetlights flashing past, anger and loneliness as his only companion as he remembers what his latest ex-girlfriend had told him before they broke up only few minutes ago.

 

 -

_“If you wanted to keep our relationship going then try to invest more to it,” she kept complaining. “You’re always gone and we hardly hang out together, what the fuck is wrong with you?” Yeah, maybe lately he had been distant, but he isn’t sure why he hadn’t been interested to hang out with his girlfriend._

 

_“Have you been cheating on me?” She keeps going, and oh god no, Bruce really doesn’t like the idea of cheating._

 

_“Do you even fucking care about me anymore?” she asks loudly. Bruce really isn’t sure does he care about her anymore. “Or did you ever care about me?” It’s a good question. Yes? No? He isn’t sure. Maybe he cared about her for a while, but he will always end up feeling like he doesn’t connect with people he dates with._

 

_“You know what, I’m so full of your shit!” She yells at him and Bruce knows what will come next, has seen this scene happen so many times in front of him, after all she isn’t his first girlfriend and he is so tired of feeling like he isn’t going to find that one he likes to hang out with for days, years, to feel connected to the person without losing interest as soon as he is living with them. “I’m done with you! It’s better if we break up now as it seems like you’re not interested to be with me,” As soon as she said this she is collecting her keys. “When I come back you’re gone.” And then she leaves through the front door._

 -

 

Bruce runs his hand through his hair while his other is squeezing the steering wheel. The few minutes old memory is burning bright in his head and making him feel angry at himself for not being better man, for failing yet another woman he could have had everything with if not being absolutely useless in these relationships. If not being this idiot that loses his interest the moment he starts to know these people better and date them.

 

He drives through the dark part of the town until at the next intersection he slows his car’s speed as he notices couple prostitutes standing on the sidewalk. They are clearly not paying attention to him as they seem to be talking to each other. He plays with this idea in his head where he takes one of them with him to nearby motel and fucks his anger away, but he looks at these women and then decides he doesn’t want to do that with them. He is going to drive past them, but before he does it he notices a man – prostitute also, it seems – standing with these couple women and talking with them. Bruce steps on the brakes and the car stops abruptly, making these prostitutes suddenly jump on their feet as the loud screeching noise Bruce’s car lets out scares them.

 

They look at him in confusion and Bruce rolls down the passenger side’s window. He looks intently at the guy standing with the women. He has this nicely stylized dark Van Dyke and also dark short hair with dark deep eyes, even in these dark streets they shine beautifully and Bruce swallows. The guy is gorgeous. He has some tight black leather pants and also leather jacket with possible red shirt underneath it.

 

Before Bruce gets to say anything, one of the women is coming to stand in front of the window. “Are you looking for some fun, sugar?” Bruce gets a bit frustrated by her approach because he isn’t interested at her, but before he gets to say that, the handsome guy comes to stand beside the woman.

 

“I think he is looking for something only I can share. Right, dear?” and the guy flashes a really nice smile at Bruce. He nods at the gorgeous stranger while realizing that he really doesn’t know what to say. The man chuckles at him then and pushes the other woman gently aside as he opens the passenger side’s door. “Sorry honey, this is my ride tonight.”

 

The woman huffs and rolls her eyes before walking back to stand beside the other one. “Just don’t have too much fun, T.”

 

“You’re just jealous that I hit the jackpot today.” T states through the open window as he settles down on the seat and winks at Bruce. He flushes a little at the stranger and starts the car before he even hears what the woman answers and drives off.

 

While on the road Bruce thinks what this guy – T – said about him and bites his bottom lip. He has never thought that he would be handsome in any way possible, if that was what this stranger had meant by saying he hit the jackpot today.

 

“What are you thinking, dear?” T suddenly asks and Bruce notices that he had been studying him. He lets out a shaky breath and runs one of his hands through his curly hair while thinking what he should answer to the guy sitting next to him. Should he tell him how gorgeous he thinks this stranger is? Should he joke? Should he ask him about something? Should he tell what he wants to do to this guy? Anything to let him wind down and forget his ex-girlfriends and his inability to love.

 

“Life.” Bruce answers instead.

 

T raises an eyebrow and then nods. “Ah, I see,” Bruce doesn’t know what he sees and he doesn’t say anything. Next to him this gorgeous stranger nods again. “Love problems?” He suddenly asks. Bruce is close to hitting the brakes, but manages not to do so. He glances at the guy quickly and then back at the road. He is thinking if he should even answer that and T seems to let him know that too. “You don’t have to tell me, of course, but sometimes it’s easier if you have someone to talk to. Believe me, I know.” And then T is crossing his arms across his chest. Bruce stays quiet for a moment and keeps glancing at T who is looking out of the passenger’s side window.

 

It’s the moment when he sees how T looks vulnerable for a second, looking out of the window like he sees something he doesn’t want to remember, that he decides to tell him. He tells about his recent break up, how bad he is with relationships and how hard it is for him to keep holding onto these people he cares about. How tired he is every day to keep going on like this. T seems to listen him carefully and keeps his face passive. Every word that leaves Bruce’s mouth makes him feel better eventually, the aggressive dark cloud disappearing from his mind and before long they end up at a small motel, the receptionist clearly not interested about what two grown men want to do with one room when Bruce books a room for them.

 

When they step inside into the room, T lets out a low whistle and Bruce turns to look at him. The stranger notices his questioning look and smiles at him. “I’m just impressed how clean this room is.” And then he decides to flop down on the (thankfully) king-sized bed without asking for any permission. Bruce doesn’t care.

 

“Oh, how so?” While Bruce is taking off his jacket, he decides to keep the conversation going and he still is wondering what T is thinking.

 

“You know, I had this one client in one of these kind of places and the room was very, um, untidy,” The gorgeous stranger tells him and then smirks. “I was very worried for my health.” It manages to make Bruce laugh a bit and for some strange reason T’s face seems to lighten up.

 

“I’m very sorry you had to go through that, though I believe you surely have met a variety of people.” Bruce says with a smile and is now taking off his shoes too. T seems to be doing the same and he snorts.

 

“Yeah, a lot of different kinds, but I have been extremely lucky that mostly they have been very tidy people – and nice too, of course.” T says and then he lowers his voice almost to whisper. “This profession can be dangerous too.” Bruce glances at him and then at the floor, nodding slowly. T seems to want to change the topic because he opens his mouth. “Geez, sorry. Here I’m saying things you probably aren’t interested about,” And then he takes hold of his shirt, ready to take it off, but stops and looks at Bruce. “So, how do you want me? Do I take my shirt off? Do you want me to strip for you? I can do that, you know.”

 

Bruce looks at T and soon realizes he has a problem. He doesn’t want to have sex with him anymore, because just being with this gorgeous stranger and talking about things with him made him feel so much better and he had unwind without noticing it. Despite this he has come to realize that he has another problem also; he doesn’t want T to leave, but what should he do to keep him there? It seems that Bruce didn’t answer for a while because T is looking at him with a raised eyebrow.

 

“You don’t want to have sex, right?” He seems to realize that also. “Do you want to do something else? I can offer cuddles too. Or, if you want me to leave completely, I understand.”

 

Bruce sits down beside T on the bed and takes hold of his hand. “No, you don’t have to leave. Sorry. Cuddles are fine. I-,” he shakes his head and sighs. “I’m such a mess.”

 

T seems to shake his own head now and squeezes Bruce’s hand. “Nah, I do understand. You have had an awful and long day,” Then he starts to pull Bruce on to the bed so that they are settled down there and then T wraps his arms around Bruce. “And believe me when I say I love cuddles. Especially with such a gorgeous man like yourself.”

 

Bruce blushes a bit. “I think you’re very handsome too.” He tells also and even though maybe Bruce has this feeling again that tells him he should try to pursue for a relationship with this man, he can’t. Not after realizing how hard it’s for him to keep being interested in people that way, and T doesn’t seem to be this type that seeks relationships with anyone, or that’s the feeling Bruce has gotten. And it seems Bruce doesn’t even know his name.

 

“Tony,” T suddenly says, interrupting his thoughts. Bruce’s face seems to tell that he isn’t sure what T means so he adds. “That’s my name. I realized you maybe don’t know it yet, and you are?”

 

Bruce smiles. Yeah, maybe this won’t be anything more than this, but he is going to enjoy this while it lasts. “Bruce, I’m Bruce.”

**Author's Note:**

> Oh boy, I hope it was alright. I'm very slow writer and there still is fics to be finished, but here I have been playing games like Tomb Raider (2013 version) and Deus Ex: Human Revolution instead. Also, inktober is soon here so I have to ready my ink supplies.


End file.
